Following the success of the Coronavirus Time Capsule project which saw 20 young people creating a video record of their lockdown experiences, Horsecross Arts has developed three online performance projects for its youth groups to take part in this autumn.

Young people aged 13 to 18 will team up with their contemporaries at Hidden Route Theatre Company in Dundee for Tay2 - weekly Zoom workshops leading to an online performance.

Those aged 9 – 12 will develop their performance skills in in weekly Zoom workshops for an online performance of Gargantua, Carl Grose’s hilarious comedy about a couple who give birth to a giant baby.

Age 5 – 8s will develop their storytelling and performance skills in Giant!, weekly Zoom workshops to create a brand new online show that will be the curtain-raiser for Gargantua.

All performances will take place online during w/c 30 November.

Katie Mitchell and Emma Neck, Creative Learning Co-ordinators for Horsecross Arts, the creative organisation and charity behind Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall, said:

“After the success of the Coronavirus Time Capsule project, and the positive feedback we received, we felt really creatively inspired and wanted to offer more online projects for our young people. These 3 exciting performance projects for 5 to 18 year-olds will help improve their skills in devising, script work and online technology. Of course, we’d much rather be in the room seeing our groups face-to-face but we’re glad to be offering this as an alternative. We welcome both existing and new members, and we’d love to see some new friendly faces join us.”

The Coronavirus Time Capsule project for groups of young people everywhere, created by Company Three www.companythree.co.uk/coronavirus saw 20 young people create a series of videos over lockdown exploring how they eat, dress, who they live with, their hopes for the future and how their lives have changed for better for worse through this period. All the videos can be found YouTube page @Join In Horsecross

Comments from participants included:

“It’s been so much fun and I think I can speak for us all - it’s really helped us through lockdown having this outlet. Thank you for letting us have fun and do these kind of things and get our voices heard. It been good to be part of something like this, it’s been really good.”

“It was such a good thing to do to look back on what life was like during lockdown. I really liked seeing everyone’s work each week and being inspired by it and I liked catching up with everyone.”

“I think it’s been a great way of connecting to the theatre in the middle of the pandemic still being part of something and being part of something bigger.”

“I think it’s been a break for everyone from everything that’s happening. It’s made me feel free from being anxious about Covid. I loved everything about this project.”

Tay2 Age 13 – 18 Senior project takes place on Wednesdays from 2 Sep – 25 Nov: 6 – 8pm (no sessions Wednesday 7 or 14 October).

Gargantua Age 9 – 12 Junior project takes place on Mondays from 31 August – 23 November from 6pm – 7.30pm (no sessions Monday 5 or 12 October).

Giant! Age 5 – 8 Junior project takes place on Thursdays from 3 September – 26 November: 6pm – 6.45pm (no sessions Thursday 8 or 15 October).

For more details about these three online performances projects for young people, and to book visit www.horsecross.co.uk.

Horsecross Arts is supported by Creative Scotland, Perth & Kinross Council and The Gannochy Trust.

Wednesday 26 August 2020